CHI 2340  Fall, 2013
Chinese for Heritage Learners I
Time: 6th Pd.
Classroom:   MCCB 2102

Course Objectives

CHI 2340  is a standard Mandarin Chinese course designed for students with significant bilingual background in the language, namely the abilities of listening and speaking daily Chinese. The main emphasis is on both recognition of the characters and writing, but pronunciation and speaking are also stressed. The three courses objectives are:
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I. Linguistic Objectives
Help students acquire a good knowledge of Chinese Pinyin system, learn approximately 500 characters/phrases in traditional form and to become familiar with the basic grammar structures in the language.
II. Socio-cultural Objectives
Help students understand Chinese socio-culture as it embedded in language.
III. Functional/Communicative Objectives


a. Listening Skill  Enhance the students' ability to understand the natural Chinese language materials at  intermediate level.
b. Speaking Skill  Enable students to accomplish daily communicative tasks with coherence, accuracy, and fluency with ease.
c. Reading Skill  Enable students to read materials expressed by frequently used sentence structures and the most frequently used characters in the Chinese language.
d. Writing Skill  Enable students to write simple passages and letters in traditional characters.

Textbooks


Qian He, Yenna Wu and Ying Petersen:“Me and China”, New York: McGraw-Hill 2008.

ISBN 0-07-338578-6.

Available at Gator Textbooks, 3501 SW 2nd Ave. Ph: 352-374 4500.

Lesson 1 - 8 will be covered this semester.

Recommended References
  
Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1986
Far East Chinese-English Dictionary ,  NY: U.S. International Publishing Inc. 1992.
Far East English-Chinese Dictionary ,  NY: U.S. International Publishing Inc, 2004 (www.usipusa.com)
A Conversion Table of Simplified Chinese Characters, Far Eastern Publications, Yale University, New Haven, 1970

Course Requirements
I. Prerequisite:
Elementary level of comprehending and speaking Mandarin Chinese.
II. Attendance
Since language learning is a cumulative process, it is essential that students attend all classes. Students are allowed to have four unexcused absences.  Each additional unexcused absence after the 4th will result in 1 point deduction from the final score.
Please be punctual.  If you are late to class, you will not be given extra time to complete the exams and quizzes.  If you are more than 5 minutes late three times without your instructor's consent, they will be counted as one absence.  If you are more than 30 minutes late, it will be considered as one absence. If you leave 10 minutes earlier prior the end of the class without your instructor’s permission, it is counted as one absence as well.
You may be excused from the class only if you provide an official document, such as a note  from the doctor, accident report, receipt for car repair etc.
If you are late or miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor or ask your classmates to know what you have missed and what you need to do.
III. Participation
Students will be judged by their performance in class.  Students are expected to preview lessons, and prepare for classroom activities. Since this is a four-credit course, students are expected to study for at least 2 hours every day. Sleeping, talking or doing homework during the class is considered as disengaged from class activities. Any absence is considered as no participation on the absent day.  Grading criteria for class participation will be on an 8 point scale:
 
8 = excellent performance; high level of fluency and accuracy
  7 = very good/strong performance with some minor weak areas; memorized most materials; 
        no need to refer to textbook.
  6 =  good performance with some weakness; memorized some materials; occasional need to
         refer to text book
  5 =  fair performance, weak in major area; memorized only limited materials; frequent need to
         refer to textbook
  4 =  poor performance , weak in most area, refer constantly to textbook
  3 =  completely unprepared or disengaged from class activities
  0 =  absent. or any interrrupts to the lecturer

Important Classroom Etiquette:
During class please do not eat or chew gum and also turn off all electronic devices—Cell phones, computers, PDAs, I-pods, etc.
If you use any of the above devices without the prior consent of your instructor, you will be asked to leave.

IV. Homework
All homework is due at the beginning of class on the due date. If homework is turned in at the end of class, it will be checked but not graded. No homework will be accepted after the due dates indicated on your assigment sheet. Any missing homework assignments will be graded as 0.  In case you must miss class on the day that an assignment is due, turn it in  ahead of time.
V. Quizzes and Tests 
In-class quizzes will be given from time to time.  The instructor will announce quiz date in class in advance.  Normally, there will be a test after every two lessons. 
VI.
Sakai E-learning
Sakai E-learning is an online Course Management System (CMS) to support study in and outside of class. Students are required to check the E-learning CMS for the weekly course schedule, class and homework assignments and Chinese Hour schedule.  
VII.
Makeup Policy
All homework, tests, quizzes and oral presentations (individual and group) are only strictly given to those with valid proof of illness or emergency etc., or pre-arrangement with the instructor. Official proof must be provided for the exact date of absence.  It is your responsibility to contact your instructor by email before the class time and schedule a make-up section within three class days after returning to class. It is important not to miss the group presentations as other members in the group can be affected.
Also see attendance.
VIII.
Academic Honesty
Cheating will not be tolerated. Any students found in violation of the student honor code will be reported to university officials. Please refer to the University of Florida Student Honor Code.

IX.
Chinese Speaking Policy in Class
You are required to speak only Chinese in class.  You will sign an honor pledge at the beginning of the semester regarding speaking only Chinese in class.  You will have to ask permission to speak English, if it becomes absolutely necessary.

Grading

Participation   8%

   
Daily Oral
  5%                                                   
   

Homework  12%


Projects ( Project I  5%, Project II  10%)
15%


Quizzes 10%


Tests (Test 7, 5 %, the rest of the test 25 %)
30%


Final 20%

      Grade
93  -  100  = A          
90  -  92    = A

87  -  89    = B+       
83  -  86    = B            
80  -  82    = B
-
77  -  79    = C+        
73   - 76    = C            
70  -  72    = C-
67  -  69    = D+        
63   - 66    = D            
60  -  62    = D
-
59 or less   = E

Important Note: A grade of C or better is considered a passing grade.  Students receiving grade below C (including C-,D+,D,D- and E) will not be permitted to move on to CHI2341 Chinese for Heritage Learners 2.

Special Request:

Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office.  The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the students who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when request accommodation.

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